Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a distinct type of head and neck cancer that is prevalent in Southern China, Southeast Asia, and North Africa. The development and stepwise progression of NPC involve accumulation of multiple gross genetic changes during the clonal expansion of EBV-infected nasopharyngeal epithelial cell population.
NPC is a non-lymphomatous squamous cell carcinoma arising from the lateral epithelial lining of the nasopharynx. According to the histological classification of World Health Organization (WHO), there are three types of NPC: Type 1 NPC is keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma; Type 2 NPC is non-keratinizing carcinoma; and Type 3 NPC is undifferentiated carcinoma.
Genomic instability is an early event marker in carcinogenesis of NPC. There exists a need for new methods to diagnose, monitor and treat nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This invention fulfills this and other related needs.